The Germans were right when they decided to change their education system. Today, they are among the world’s economic giants — a status many observers believe was achieved after making necessary changes in their education system. But even before Germany, 10 years after the American Revolution in 1784, Americans believed that their fate would not be defined by the greatness of their arms, but the practicability and resourcefulness of their education system. Thus, they championed the cause of intellectual development, becoming the leader in quality education and sustainable development. Let’s not get tired of notions like “quality education” for it has been spoken about for a long time now. John Doweh said that quality begins to deteriorate when people cease to talk about it, but the more it is talked about, the higher the chance that the strategies on its effective implementation will become reality. No country can develop without a well-functioning education system. It is the hinge of human resource development that countries rely on to inspire development and social transformation. Actually, the post-genocide reconstruction in Rwanda can also be attributed to the significant improvement in the education system as opposed to the pre-genocide era that was instead an emblem of prejudice. Of course we can’t toast a glass to success just yet; I believe that constant education reform is important, and it needs consistent and rigorous revision to be able to achieve the best we can for our country’s development. There have been several changes globally in all aspects; it is noticeable that when plans to achieve those changes begin, education is always at the forefront. There have been many improvements in education over the years following the mindset to ‘master concepts’ rather than ‘nurture skills’. Do we encourage creative thinking or reasoning? Do we encourage students to read extensively and understand the needs of society and attach significance to their own education? The Rwandan primary and secondary curriculum is routinely fine, but with a competence-based curriculum, we hope and are optimistic about the future. Rwanda’s Vision 2020 goal is clear — “Building a knowledge-based economy” — this is achievable, especially with the current emphasis on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The writer is a PhD student in comparative education and leadership at Beijing Normal University china pontiankbr@outlook.com
